Automobile running board and the like



April 25, 1933. w s VROOMAN 1,905,769

AUTOMOBILE RUNNING BOARD AND THE LIKE Filed June 1 1928 INVENTOR.

afz'i/z'am 1S Wooman A TTORNEY6 hatented Apr. -25, W33

retain n stares earner errata vvmrrera S. WOMAN, 01E CLEVELAND @HlQ, ASSIGNUR TO m PAINE mm WILLIAMS WMPAW, @F CLEVELAND, OHM), A CQMORATION @l? @EIQ AUTQMOBILE RUNNENG BOARD AND THE LIKE Application filed June 1,

This invention, relatingyas indicated, to automobile running boards and the like, has more particular reference to tread members or covering materials and their manufacture. Its princi al object is the provision of a tread mom or or covering material for automobile running boards, steps and other surfaces that should be overlain with a resili ent, non-buckling and slip-proof mat, and

30 it comprises a layer or sheet or rubber or rubberdik Composition having secured to one of its faces a relatively inextensibleand stifl but slightly flexible second rein-forcing layer or sheet of some fibrous substance, such 15 as paper, the rubber and the paper being permanentlybonded to each other and the exposed face of the paper being desirably configurated or roughened to facilitate and improve its attachment to the upper surface 9d of running boards and the like in case at tachment by cementation or otherwise is desired; it bein understood that ordinarily the paper backing will stifien the superposed rubber suficiently to compel the mat as a whole to lie flatinitially and remain so during its period of use so that it may'not be necessary to cement the'bottomoi the paper to the top surface of the supporting base upon which it rests in order to obviatebuck- 3@ lm wrinkling and creeping of the mat wit relation to such base.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, said invention, then, consists of the means hereinafter fully described 35 and particularly pointed out in the claims.

The annexed drawing and the following description sfet fgllih detaillppe method and one ype o r 110 exemp 1 1 m 1nvention, such dlsclosed procedure a nd type of 4% product constituting, however, but'one of several applications of the principle of my invention.

In said annexed drawing Fig. 1 is a vertical section showing a covering material embodyingmyimprovements Fig. 2 is a sectional perspective view showing the under side of the lowermost layer shown sectionally' inFig. 1; Fig. 3 is a sectional perspective view showing the top side or exposed; face of the rubber. and the man 1923. ecrlal No. 22%,086.

her of attaching the mat to an automobile running hoard 'or other surface; Fig. l is a sectional perspective view showing the under side oi a modified form of my improved covering material; Fig. 5 is a vertical section 555 through the modification of Fig. d; and Fig.

6 is a sectional perspective view of a further modified form employing fibrous strips.

In the drawing, and with particular reference to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, my invention is shown to as comprising a tread member 1, which is preferably formed of rubber or rubber-like material of such thickness and composition as to impart the desired degree of resilience or softness to'the mat. The upper side or as exposed face 2 of this tread member may be smooth but, to accentuate its non-skid characteristics, it is usually rou hened or molded in some definite pattern. shown, it is provided with spaced, parallel and 101i to gitudinally extending ridges or corrugations 3 and intermediate flats 4; these corrugations desirably forming rather sharply defined an gles 5 with the flats l, being substantially semi-circular in cross-sectional shape and to having an extreme width exceeding twice their extreme height and being spaced from each other a distance of about one and one half times their extreme width; and the intermediate flats d preferabl having a verso tical thickness that is less t an the extreme width of the corrugations. A. surface deslgn of this description is durable, sale and pleasing in appearance while yet requiring, as compared with other possible configurations at or designs,a relativel small quantity of material for its formatmn.

To the under side 6 of the tread member 1]. is attached the contiguous face 7 oil a sheet of paper 8, this paper being preferably of krait ea or other heavy, tough, durable and waterrepelling variety in its natural and untreated condition for providing for the superposed layer of rubber 9 an inextensible, rather still? but somewhat flexible backing that lamhtates at the manufacturing operations, such as molding and vulcanizing of the corrugations 3 and flats 4, prevents wrinkling or buckl ng of the rubber when lying flat upon a running board or the like, generally improves the mats, es no pecially in regard to their cost of manufacture,.and presents an upper face 7 which can be easily and firmly attached to the lower face 6 of the rubber 9 during its molding and vulcanization, and a lower face 10 which can be securely attached, as by cementin to the upper surface 11 of a runnin boar in case attachment between such sur aces is desired;

my invention contemplating that the paper backing alone will usually be effective in preventing buckling, while the mechanical means, preferably used in fastening down the edges, will secure the mat against creep- In manufacturing my improved covering material, the prepared crude rubber or a genv erally similar composition may be deposlted or applied as by calendering or otherwise upon the upper face 7 of a sheet or web of paper 8, such paper, during this depositing and succeeding operations, being supported from beneath in any desired manner'and upon any suitable material, either smooth or rough, rather coarsely woven cloth or fabric being usually employed. Thereafter, the supporting cloth (not shown), the paper 8 and the rubber (or successive sections of these) are positioned in, or passed throu h,

a machine which firmly presses the rub e1 onto the face 7 of the paper 8, molds the-corrugations 3 and flats 4 into, or on, the uppersurface 2, and simultaneously or later vulcanizes the rubber to set the resulting surface design and permanently secure its under side 6 to the upper side 7 of the paper 8.

As above explained, the paper 8, durin the ,upon a smooth surface during the above described operations, it will retain its normal smoothness, while if supported upon a surface having a superficial roughness of a different nature than the commonly used cloth, the'paper will be correspondingly impressed.

In Figs. 4 and 5 the'paper 13 is shown providedwith a multiplicity of small holes or perforations ,14, these holes being of any shape, round for example, and either cleanly cut out or simply unched through without removing anyjof e paper, and providing, if numerous enough, say of an inch in diameter, and of-an inc from center to center, a foraminate or net-like skeleton to' which the rubber 15 may anchor and form perforations serving to impart the desired inextensibility, stiffness and flexibility, and provide a surface that can be readily attached to a base by-the use of glue or other adhesives. I

One method of attaching my improved matting to asurface, such as an automobile running board, is illustrated in Fig. 3. In this view the matting, which may be any of the three forms shown respectively in Figs. 1 and 2, in Figs. 4 and 5, and in Fi 6, is shown superposed upon a board or the like 18, the lower face-1O of the paper 8 being cemented to the upper surface 19 of the board, if desired, and one or more of the extreme outer corrugations 3 on each side of the rubber 9 being enclosed or overlapped by the similarly shaped corrugations 20 of the nosings or binders 21 and 22 which have downwardly extending parts 23 and 24 that may be secured to the vertical sides'25 of the board 18 as at 26, or turnedunder as at 27, and secured to the lower face 28 as shown at 29. As heretofore mentioned, the paper 8, due to-its inextensibility, will usually be sufficient to prevent buckling, but cement) may be used between the paper and the board, if desired, the paper, in case an adhesive is used, forming a surface which the glue or cement used can grip tenaciousl to additionally secure the mat against duckling and creeping. However, ordinarily the nosings 21 and 22 combined with the roughness of the paper and the exposed faces of the friction plugs 16, if present, will serve to prevent creeping without the necessity of employing an adhesive. Means other than the ion binding strips or nosings 21 and 22 may be a used in attaching my improved matting to the tread surface of a supporting base, if desired, and, in case other means are used, the corrugations -3, to' improve-their footgripping action, are preferably so disposed as. toextend transversely of the direction in which the mat is usually trodden upon, as shown in Fig. 3.- t

A further modification is illustrated in Fig. 6.wherein .a mat which is generally similar to those previously described is shown as provided with reinforcing strips 30, these strips being conveniently formed of a fibrous material such as paper, or the like, and preferably extending lengthwise of the mat or parallel to the corrugations 31; Their under sides may be substantially flush with the intervening rubber 32 and each strip is de sirabl independent of the others and spaced there cm a dis ance'which imparts the desired inextensibiity and stiffness, say, onequarter or three-eighths of an inch, the stri s themselves having any desired width as, or example, three-eighths of aninch, A matting constructed in this manner ma be attached in about the same way as those m posed surface of said paper.

Signed by me, this 28th da of May, 1928.

" paper being exposed at the un previously described and when so attached I the intermediate strips of rubber 32 will have substantially the same action as the friction plugs 16 while the embedded paper will prevent buckling and creeping.

Other forms may be employed .embodying the features of my invention instead of the one here explained, change being made in the form or construction, rovided the elements stated by any of t e following claims or the equivalent of such stated forms be employed, whether produced by my pre ferred method'or by others embodying steps equivalent to those stated in the fol wing claims.

I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention 1. As an artlcle of manufacture, a covering material for automobile runnin boards and the like, comprising sheets 0 rubber and paper vulcanized together, the paper being exposed at the under side of such article.

2. As an article of manufacture, a covering material for automobile running boards and the like, comprising sheets of rubber and embossed paper bonded together by vulcanization, the aper being exposed at the under side of such article.

3. As an article of manufacture, a covering material for automobile. runnin boards and the like comprising bonded s eets of rubber and embossed paper vulcanized together, the paper being exposed at the under side of such article. v

4. Asan article of manufacture, a covering materiaI for automobile runnin boards and the like comprising sheets of ru be'r and perforated paper vulcanized to ether, the er side of such article.

5. As an article of manufacture, a, sheet of rubber vulcanized to a sheet of pa er, said paper being perforated and said ru ber extending through such perforations.

6. As an article of manufacture, a sheet of rubber vulcanized to a sheet of paper, said paper being perforated and said rubber extending through such perforations to form plugs, said plugs being flush with the ex- WILLIAM S. OOMAN. 

